The drag queen Sherry Pie is actively being edited out of several portions of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12. The recently disqualified contestant still appears on the show, but as of the fifth episode, which aired Friday, RuPaul’s Drag Race is showing very little of her storyline.
The publicly shamed Sherry Pie was accused of catfishing the week that RuPaul’s Drag Race season 12 premiered. Five men stated that the drag queen, also known as Joey Gugliemelli, posed as a casting director for the New York City theatre company Playwrights Horizons. Gugliemelli claimed to be someone named “Allison Mossie” and requested photos and videos of a sexual nature from the five victims. Sherry Pie confirmed the allegations in an apologetic Facebook post. After this admission of guilt was posted, the producers of RuPaul’s Drag Race added a message at the top of every episode of season 12 addressing the situation. The title card reads: “In light of recent developments and Sherry Pie’s statement, Sherry Pie has been disqualified from RuPaul’s Drag Race. Out of respect for the hard work of the other queens, VH1 will air the season as planned.”
After seeing the broadcast of the second episode of the season, it appeared to fans that RuPaul’s Drag Race would continue to air Sherry Pie’s confessionals and storylines. According to Out Magazine, it is now becoming apparent that many Sherry Pie moments are being edited out of the show. Audiences still see the drag queen’s runway looks and participation in challenges, but any interactions she has in the Werk Room that don’t involve another queen’s storyline seem to have been removed. A fan posted a side-by-side clip on Reddit that shows RuPaul’s Drag Race airing internationally on iTunes next to the show that is airing in the United States. In the American version, some Sherry Pie screen time has been edited out. Watch that here.
It appears that RuPaul’s Drag Race affiliate shows are also avoiding the subject of Sherry Pie as much as possible. In the YouTube recap show, The Pit Stop, host Bob The Drag Queen, the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 8, guest reviewed many of the runway looks but completely skipped Sherry Pie.
Fans, myself included, have taken to social media to make light of the strange circumstances surrounding this season of RuPaul’s Drag Race. It is certainly unusual to watch Sherry Pie win challenges without seeing much of her throughout the episode. It’s an unfortunate event that is both important to highlight as part of the #Metoo movement and disappointing to encounter amidst an otherwise incredible season of this spectacular television show.
